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India Defence Research and Development Organisation
Arjun Mk1A
India's indigenously developed main battle tank, upgraded with over 70 improvements including a new fire control system, explosive reactive armor and a more advanced communication suite. It is heavier than most contemporaries, reflecting an emphasis on protection over strategic mobility for its role defending India's western front.
In service since 2021 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
67
km/h
450
km range
15.6
hp/t
120
mm gun
68,000
kg
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2021. Status: active · ~118 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 67 km/h Stronger than 48% of main battle tanks
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 450 km Stronger than 32% of main battle tanks
- Power-to-weight
Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.
- 15.6 hp/t Bottom 7% of main battle tanks
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 1,650 m/s Stronger than 26% of main battle tanks
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 120 mm rifled gun
- Secondary armament
Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.
- 12.7 mm + 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 120 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 39 Stronger than 23% of main battle tanks
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Armor
Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.
- Kanchan composite armor with explosive reactive armor
- Reactive armor
Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.
- Yes
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- smoke grenade launchers, explosive reactive armor
- NBC protection
Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.
- Yes
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 10.19 m
- Width
Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.
- 3.86 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 2.32 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 68,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- MTU MB 838 Ka-501 diesel
- Engine power
Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.
- 1,400 hp Stronger than 67% of main battle tanks
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 1,400 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Diesel
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- hunter-killer fire control, thermal imaging sight
- Thermal imaging
Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.
- Yes
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 118 Stronger than 22% of main battle tanks
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of main battle tanks
Specifications compiled from public Defence Research and Development Organisation and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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KNDS Leopard 2A7 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A has a maximum speed of 67 km/h.
What is the range of the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A has a maximum range of 450 km.
How much does the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A weigh? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A has a combat weight of 68,000 kg.
How many crew does the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A require? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A's primary weapon is the 120 mm rifled gun.
What engine does the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A use? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A is powered by the MTU MB 838 Ka-501 diesel.
What is the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A used for? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A? +
The Defence Research and Development Organisation Arjun Mk1A is operated by 1 countries.
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